Venetian blind slat holder



April 18, 1950 E. R. GREGORY 2,504,519

VENETIAN BLIND SLAT HOLDER Filed March 26, 1948 JNVENTOR. Eel 72a I 1 Gre ory BY 7% m/1W1 rfla/azdam ATTORNEYS Patented Apr. 18, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in holders or supports, and more particularly to a holder for supporting venetian blind slats while the same are being cleaned or painted.

It is among the objects of the invention to provide an improved slat holder by means of which an individual blind slat can be conveniently supported for painting or other treatment, which is easily engageable with and dis-engageable from a conventional blindslat, is effective to support the slat so that all surfaces thereof are exposed for painting, is light in weight so that the holder and a slat carried thereby are easily handled by a person using the same, and which is simple, durable and economical in construction and easy to use.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent from a consideration of the following description and appended claims in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a face elevation of a blind slat holder, illustrative of the invention and a conventional blind slat supported thereby;

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the slat and holder illustrated in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a side elevation of the slat and holder illustrated in Figure 1, an end portion of the slat being broken away and shown in crosssection;

I Figure 4 is a longitudinal cross-section on the line 4-4 of Figure 1 showing on an enlarged scale a structural detail of the holder; and

Figure 5 is a fragmentary perspective view showing an end portion or tip of the holderoperatively engaged in a slot of the blind slat, the end portion of the slat being broken away and shown in cross-section to better illustrate the arrangement.

It is conventional practice in painting blind slats to suspend the slats on a horizontal wire or line threaded through slots in the slats and to then paint the portions of the slats depending from the line and when such painted surfaces have dried, to re-string the slats on the line in inverted position and complete the painting thereof, the slats being then suspended from the wire or line until completely dried.

This is a laborious and time-consuming process, requires that the slats be handled several times and necessitates special equipment in the wires or lines and the supports therefor.

It is conceived that the operation of re-painting blind slats can be greatly expedited and facilitated by providing a support for the slats so that each slat can be completely painted in one operation and then suspended from a convenient pin or hook to dry without any rehandling of the slats after paint is applied thereto.

This improvement in the painting of blind slats is accomplished by the provision of the special holder constituting the subject matter of the present invention. This holder comprises a pair of elongated, crossed-over rods l0 secured together at their cross-over point by a pivotal connection, generally indicated at I], so that the two rods diverge from this point and are relatively movable toward and away from each other. Each rod is provided at its outer or distal end, remote from the pivotal connection l l, with a flattened tip 52 having a width and thickness corresponding to the length and breadth of the slots in conventional blind slats and a length materially greater than the thickness of such a slat. Means are provided for releasably locking the rods It] in position, such that the tips !2 of the two rods it are spaced apart a distance substantially equal to the distance between the slots in the blind slat to be painted. Such means may conveniently comprise a cross-rod l3 pivotally connected at one end to one of the rods it by a pivotal connection I4 and adjustably connected to the other rod by a releasable lock connection .l5.

Each tip has a shallow groove l2 extending transversely across the outer side thereof. 7

The pivotal connection ll, between the rods It], comprises two cylindrical bodies l6, each having an axial and a diametrical opening therethrough. The rods to extend through the diametrical openings in respective bodies It and are firmly secured therein and a suitable pivot pin l 7 extends through the axial openings in the bodies to and pivotally secures the bodies together for relative rotation.

The pivotal connections l4 between the elongated rod It] and the cross-rod I3 is similar in ccnstruction and operation to the pivotal connection I l, and the releasable lock connection 15, particularly illustrated in Figure 4, comprises a cylindrical body I 8 and a corresponding cylindrical body H. The body I8 is provided with an axial opening receiving a headed pivot pin 20 which rotatably connects the bodies [8 and I9 together and with a diametrical opening 2! which slidably receives the corresponding rod ill, the rod I ll being firmly secured in this opening against movement relative to the body I8. The axial opening in body It is provided with a counterbore 22 so that the rod l0 may pass through the body without interference with the pivot pin 20. Body 19 is provided with a diametrical opening 23 which slidably receives the cross-rod l3 and with a screw-threaded axial opening which receives a set screw 25 by means of which the cross-over rod is releasably locked relative to the body I 9.

With this arrangement the tips on the distal ends of rods It may be moved toward or away from each other and held in adjusted position by tightening the set screw 24.

In using the device the set screw 24 is loosened and a blind slat 25 secured to the holder by passing the tips I2 through the slots 25 in the blind slat. The set screw 24 is then tightened, thereby locking the blind slat on the holder after which the slat may be painted or otherwise treated, The angular position of the tips !2 rela' tive to the blind slat will positively prevent movement of the slat relative to the holder after the slat is placed thereon and the set screw 24 tight ened. When the painting has been completed the set screw 24 is loosened, the slat removed from the tips 52 and hung on a convenient or hook to dry.

In the arrangement illustrated the ends of the rods in opposite the tips extend somewhat beyond the pivotal connection H to provide a more convenient leverage for supporting the holder manual-1y and these ends of the rods are finished bysuitable means, such as small balls 2? to eiiminate any danger of personal injury to a person using the holder.

The invention may be-embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or es sentialcharacteristics thereof. The present em bodiment is, therefore, to he considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the pended claims rather than by the foregoing description, and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are, therefore, intended to be embraced therein.

What is claimed is:

.1. Aholder for Venetian blind slats comprising a pair of rods, each having at one end a flattened tip of reduced thickness with respect to the thicknessof the rod, said tip being rectangular in cross-section and of expanded Width with respect to the rod, .a pair of cylindrical bodies, pivot means axially connecting said bodies together for relative rotation, said bodies being formed with diametrioai openings through which the respective rods extend and in which said rods are-secured at locations adjacent the ends thereof opposite said tips, the axis of said pivot means being substantially at the intersection of the planes of the flattened tips and each tip being formed rith a groove extending transversely thereacross, a cross rod pivotally secured to one of said firstmentioned rods between the tip thereon and said pivot means, a receptacle pivotally secured to the other of said first-mentioned rods and having a diametrically-extending opening therethrough receiving said cross rod, and a set screw in said receptacle operative to releasably lock said cross rod therein, whereby said tips may be releasably secured at a distance apart corresponding to the distance between the slots of a blind slat.

2. A holder for Venetian blind slats comprising a pair of round rods, each having at one end a flattened tip of reduced thickness with respect to the thickness of the rod, said tip being rectangular in cross-section and of expanded width with respect to the rod, a pair of cylindrical bodies, a pivot means axially connecting said bodies together for relative rotation, said bodies being formed with diametrical openings through which the respective rods extend and in which said rods are secured at locations adjacent the ends thereof opposite said tips, the rotational axis ofsaid pivot ,means being substantially at the intersection of the planes of the flattened tips and each tip being formed with an outwardly-facing. groove extending transversely thereacross, a cross rod pivotally secured to one of said firstmentioned rods between the tip thereon and said pivot means, a receptacle pivotally secured to the other of said first-mentioned rods and having a diametrically-extending opening therethrough receiving said cross rod, and a set screw in said receptacle operative to releasably look said cross rodther-ein, whereby said tips may be releasably secured at a distance apart corresponding to the distance between the slots of a blind slat.

EDNA R. GREGORY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file 05 this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,250,500 Pipp Dec. 18, 1917 1,281,762 Carpenter Oct. 15, 1918 1,424,986 Carey Aug. 8, 1922 1,592,161 Schultz July 13, 1926 2,124,006 Parker July 19, 1938 

